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| Newton was the third quarterback taken first overall in as many years. |
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell was received with an abundance of boos stepping to the podium for the first time, setting the stage for an exciting yet hostile night in New York City.
In light of all the labor agreement issues between the owners and players, the fans let it be know how they felt chanting, "We want football".
But the show must go on as Carolina was on the clock.
"With the first pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, the Carolina Panthers select, Cam Newton, Quarterback, Auburn,"Goodell stated. That was the pick everyone was so anxiously awaiting without very much surprise in the result. Now, the question will be asked, did the Panthers make a good decision by drafting the kid from College Park, Georgia?
If history tells us anything Newton will be yet another first overall pick that never quite lives up to the hype.
Since the 1970 AFL-NFL Merger, there has been 17 quarterbacks taken with the first overall pick, 18 if you count Newton. Only three of them have been inducted into the Hall of Fame. Peyton and Eli Manning were taken with the first overall pick in their respective drafts and look to be headed towards Canton.
With the 17 quarterbacks taken, that have actually taken a snap in the NFL, they have combined for 13 Super Bowl rings, which may seem like a lot, but not when they come from only six players on the list.
Terry Bradshaw help orchestrate the Pittsburgh Steelers to four in 1970s. John Elway was a late bloomer, leading the Broncos to early Super Bowl appearances in the 1987 and '89, but came up short both times. He would have to wait ten years later to get back to the big game winning first in 1997 and then again in 1998.
Troy Aikman was the signal caller for three Super Bowl champions in the mid 90s for America's team, the Dallas Cowboys. That is nine of the 13 rings belonging to three players, coincidently those are the therein the Hall of Fame.
The Manning brothers hold two of the final four Super Bowl rings and in part are the reason why they will eventually end up with a plaque in Ohio, along with their eye popping numbers.
Oakland's Jim Plunkett is the only other quarterback taken first in the draft to hold a Super Bowl ring, in fact Plunkett has the remaining two. Despite Plunkett never being named to a Pro Bowl, he is the only quarterback in NFL history to have multiple Super Bowl wins as a starter and not be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Plunkett is also the last quarterback to win the Heisman Trophy and win a Super Bowl during their career, Newton will look to end that curse in the near future after winning the prestigious trophy in 2010.
In the last decade a quarterback has been taken first overall eight out of the last 10 drafts, more than any other decade since the draft began in 1936. Only three of those quarterbacks have made the Pro Bowl since being drafted combining for seven appearances in Hawaii. Four of those seven coming from Philadelphia's Michael Vick. Even though Vick has been successful on the field, his issues off the field have been well publicized.
Vick missed the entire 2007 and '08 season serving his 23 month prison sentence, but was reinstated to the league in 2009 and is coming off a Pro Bowl season. Carson Palmer and Eli Manning are the other players to make the Pro Bowl in that time period.
How can the name JaMarcus Russell, who was taken first overall in '07 by the Oakland Raiders out of LSU, not be mentioned. Along with Ryan Leaf, even though he was the second pick in the '98 draft, Russell qualifies as one of the biggest draft busts the game has ever seen.
As for Detroit's Matthew Stafford and St. Louis' Sam Bradford the sample size is much to small to predict if they will continue to have success in the NFL long-term. If Stafford can avoid another shoulder injury and Bradford continues to build off his impressive rookie campaign, where he won the Offensive Rookie of the Year, the future looks bright for both.
Newton's overall body of work is a piece of art and has been incredible to watch early on. The question is can all the skills he possesses translate to becoming a great NFL quarterback? Nobody is questioning the physical ability and tools he has shown with a 6-foot-6, 250-pound build. All that being said Newton only started one year in the NCAA and is coming from a spread offense at Auburn under head coach Gene Chizik.
Many adjustments are waiting in the wings for Newton if he intends to succeed. His character has even come into question with his off the field issues after being suspended by Florida for stealing a laptop. Most recently, Newton was suspected by the NCAA of violating recruiting rules, which later he was cleared of and was charged to his father.
Assuming the Panthers are able to sign Newton it almost assures the end of the Jimmy Clausen experiment in Carolina before it even got started. Clausen was selected in the second-round with the 48th overall pick in last year's draft out of Notre Dame by Carolina.
He was believed by many to be the most NFL ready quarterback in the '10 draft class.
Clausen played in 13 games during his rookie season, where he threw for 1,558 yards, three touchdowns and nine interceptions with a dismal 58.4 quarterback rating. With Newton the new face in town, Clausen might be on his way out.
In their first and only Super Bowl appearance in franchise history by Carolina back in 2004, they showed a first-round quarterback is not needed to come seconds away from a championship. Super Bowl XXXVIII showcased two quarterbacks, who were not highly recruited coming out of college.
Former Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme was the starter under center for Super Sunday and he went undrafted in '97 out of Louisiana-Lafayette. Delhomme threw for three touchdowns and 323 yards in a losing effort to the New England Patriots. Tom Brady was the opposing quarterback in that Super Bowl, and his story has been well told.
Brady was the 199th pick in the 2000 NFL Draft being selected in the sixth-round out of Michigan. Brady has gone on to win three Super Bowl rings, two NFL Most Valuable Player Awards and cemented himself as one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history.
The history of the NFL shows that taking a quarterback first overall is almost set to backfire, but there those exceptions and is what keeps teams coming back for more no matter how many times they fail.
Having a franchise quarterback seems to be the number one ingredient in constructing the right recipe to a championship contender.
The Panthers have not thought any different by taking Newton. Is he that guy?
Only time will tell.
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